Heat in the Hamptons

Chapter 12

Noah was washing dishes when he heard a knock on the front door. That's odd, usually Addison would just come in the back.

Oh, he thought. She did that when she lived next door.

He opened the door and smiled, about to make a joke about how she didn't need to knock. But then he saw the bandaid on her head.

His expression became grave and concerned, an odd mix Addison thought to herself.

"What?" she said.

He moved closer and trailed a finger gently against the edge of the bandaid. She suppressed a shiver.

"What the fuck did he do?" Noah's voice was hard, but his hands were soft.

Addison smiled up at him catching his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Nothing, Noah. I dropped some luggage on my head when I was moving out." Noah let out a relieved breath, it floated across Addison's face.

"Good." He said, smiling down at her.

"I feel like I know the answer to this, but is Megan here?" Noah could hear a hint of dread in her voice.

"Fuck no." Addison smiled.

Noah turned to let her in and close the door behind her. As she walked into the house he smiled thinking about what she said, when I was moving out.

They sat facing each other on the island, glasses of wine in their hands.

Addison insisted Noah go first, so he told her what had happened between he and Megan.

He searched her eyes. "Is that the same story you got?"

The edge of her lips turned up in a small smile. "Yeah."

He reached his hand across the table to her, squeezing her forearm where it rested on the counter.

She started to tell him how she locked herself in the bathroom and started to pack, how James tried to stop her.

"Then when he told me it happened a few times a month," she thought for a moment, "which yeah, is about thirty times in the ten months since it all started." She shook her head. Noah's thumb traced a circle on her skin. "Once he told me that, I was done. I mean, I was done before that, but I was going to take my time moving all my stuff out to make sure I didn't forget anything. But once he said that, it felt like being stabbed. I felt nauseous and then I just had to get out."

She looked up at him, his eyes were studying her.

"I left so much shit back there, I have to get it all. I already have nothing." She was trying to stop the tears from entering her eyes. "But I can't go back there alone."

"I'll go with you, we'll get everything out."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you, Noah. But I didn't even tell you the worst part yet."

His brow furrowed as he waited to hear what was next.

"I was at the front door about to leave, telling him how it's unbelievable that he loves me considering what he's done. That he begged me to sell my apartment knowing he was cheating on me. My apartment was all I had, and it's gone." Her voice caught. "Noah he pulled out a fucking engagement ring."

Noah's eyes widened.

"It was huge, he said he bought it when we were together for six months because he knew he wanted to be with me." She laughed. "Four years later that doesn't seem to matter. Then he grabbed me, kissed me and threw me against a wall, like I was going to forget everything he had done." For some reason that image bothered Noah.

She shook her head and took a shaky sip of wine. "I just can't believe how manipulative he tried to be."

Noah smiled at her. "Well on the brightside, I'm pretty sure things can only go up from here." They laughed.

"Oh, Noah. How wrong you are." She laughed again. He tilted his head in confusion. She waved the glass towards James' house. "I'm homeless, remember? And what's worse, every hotel in the city is booked or way out of my budget." She smiled, but it wasn't genuine. It was a sad smile, a smile that said she was ashamed of her current life status. She looked at the counter.

Noah's heart broke for her. Sure he had been hurt too, but all he lost was Megan. Addison lost James and her home, and her money source.

"Addison." He said gently.

She was crying now. "No, this is what I've worked my whole life to not let happen. I tried so hard to work so that I wouldn't be the girl who depended on a man, and that's exactly what I became." She shook her head and a few tears fell on Noah's hand, where it still squeezed her forearm. "And now I'm just another stupid girl who got played by a guy. I'm homeless, and a broke writer, and I'm worse off than when I met him."

Noah got up as she let out a sob. He closed the distance to her and wrapped her in his arms, her face in his chest.

"Addison, why do you keep forgetting I have a guest bedroom?" Noah ask gently, trying to lighten the mood.

She looked up at him, her eyes puffy.

"Noah, I can't be a burden on you."

He wiped a few tears off her cheek. "You aren't a burden. We were hurt by the same people, so we might as well get through this together." She smiled up at him. "Besides, it's not like I'm a stranger, we're friends remember?"

She laughed and nodded.

"And I'm pretty sure this morning someone called us family."

Addison laughed, "I may have said something like that."